Standing in the gap

On Monday morning, September 29 our team gathered for one final picture before we got in the car to begin our 36 hour trek back to Portland. We were sad to leave our long time friends John and Heather Witherow and their boys Micah, Jake, and Caleb. We are also sad to leave our new friends Chris and Norma Ferguson who own and operate Morning Star Farm where we stayed and ministered.

It was fitting that Chris and Norma asked that our final picture be taken between two large rocks on their property.  The described it as "standing in the gap".  What an appropriate description.  Our team along with the Witherows and Fergusons were standing in the gap all week by being the hands and feet of Jesus in a very difficult part of the world.  Unemployment is Zimbabwe is over 90%.  Due to off the chart inflation they have abandoned their own currency and are now using the US dollar.  Prior to that move some of their bank notes were printed with a value of 50 trillion dollars and expiration dates! 

We arrived safely in Portland on Tuesday September 30th at noon.  We were all tired but our spirits were strong because of the people we met and what we had seen God do in us and through us.

A short note from Kimberly Kim this morning, one of our team members, sums up how we all feel when she wrote;

By the way, I have been missing you all already.  I am not able to stop thinking about the experience.  It really did change my life. :)

 

In the next few weeks we will schedule a time to share with our church family and friends the whole story of our time in Zim.  Please watch for those dates and join us to celebrate what God did.

A huge thanks to all of you who prayed for us and financially supported us.  We could not have done it without you.

The Sunset Zim team!

On Thursday we completed our ministry at the Motopo Primary School.  The ladies spent the morning  working with teachers and students in the two early childhood education classrooms.  They also painted cartoon characters on the walls of the second classroom.  When the children and teachers saw their rooms they were so excited.  One of the teachers said she could now be proud of her classroom.  While the ladies were at the school, Brad and Mike were at Morning Star Farm rehabilitating school desks and tables.  Some of the classrooms have zero furniture.

Thursday afternoon Chris and Norma took the team to a nearby cave where there are two thousand year old cave drawings.

Friday morning we left at 7 AM for a 7 hour drive to Victoria Falls.  That afternoon we walked the trail that overlooks this magnificent waterfall.  One of the 7 wonders of the world. 

 

That evening we had an excellent meal at a traditional African restaurant complete with “interesting” food, lots of drums, and dancing.  Our team even got in on the dancing and drums.

Saturday we headed to Chobe National Park for a safari.  We spent the morning on the river seeing thousands of elephants, hippos, crocodiles, Cape Buffalo, etc.  In the afternoon we did a game drive and saw Zebras, Giraffes, more elephants, wart hogs, and lots of small deer like animals.  What an amazing experience.  Chobe and the surrounding area is home to over 200,000 elephants. 

 

 

Sunday morning we headed back to Motopo and Morning Star Farm to spend our final night with the Witherows before beginning our long trek back to Portland on Monday afternoon.

 

The team is doing great and has had an amazing experience. We have been thanked over and over by the Witherows and Fergusons for making the effort to come and work alongside them.  It has truly been a win/win for everyone. Heather has already begun to dread our departure. Two more sleeps and we are home!

 

 

Two more days (Tuesday and Wednesday) are in the books!  The ladies returned to the school and spent two mornings working with a younger group of children and a different teacher setting up a second early childhood center. 

After the morning class the Julie, Rauna, and Gail continued to paint the classroom.  Brad and Micah Witherow set up some scaffolding and painted the higher locations.  Mike and John Witherow continued to work with some local Young Life leaders on the playground construction.

  

Each night we are served a wonderful meal back at the farm.  We eat outside around a fire and marvel at the amazing display of starts overhead.  We are usually pretty tired and head to bed by 9 pm.  The days are warm and we are at about 5000 feet of elevation which along with the long days make us pretty much ready for bed.

We have group devotions at 7:30 each morning which a different team member facilitates.  Breakfast is served at 8.

On Wednesday Brad become our master paint mixer and did a great job of mixing a variety of colors so that we could paint the play structure we have been building at the Motopo Elementary School. He also mixed paint so that the ladies could paint characters on the walls of one of the classrooms that they have  been working in all week.

Mike and John wrapped up the work on the play structure and with the help of the Young Life leaders got it painted. 

Our time at the school is quickly coming to an end.  There were quite a few tears during our devotion time this morning (Thursday) as we reflected on our ministry here, the bond that has developed among our team, the children and teachers as well as with the Witherows and Fergusons.